Plastic building-block.



PATENTED'YSEPT. 25, 1906.

M. U, MOMSBN. PLASTIC BUILDING BLOCK. APPLICATION FILED MAYll. 1905.

LIL

' llloclis, of. which the @Tiifiifid ra rnn r orrrcn lviELVILLl-l C. MOMSEN, OF ARMOUR, SOUTH DAKOTA.

PLASTEG BUELDlNG-BLOQK.

lilo. 831,?32.

T0 at when}, it may concern.

he it lmown that I, MELvILLE (I. Monsnn, i a citizen of the United States, residing at Armour, in the county of Douglas'and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new a1 .81 useful improvements in Plastic Buildingfollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to cement blocks, the purpose of the'invention being to provide an improved building-block made of cement, concrete, or any other plastic material, that shall be simple in construction, light and durable, effective in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a building-block made of plastic material capable of supporting a greater tensile and compressive strain according tothe amount of material used in its construction than other cement or concrete buildingblocks.

A still further object of the invention is to rovide a plastic-block system for use in the construction of buildings comprising a plurality of blocks formed of cement, concrete, or other plastic material so arranged in prox- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fileil May 11,1905. Serial No. 260,006.

imity to each other and so connected as to form a continuous system.

Other objects and advantages of my invention, as well as the structural features by means of which these objects are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view-of a number of blocks constructed in accordance with my invention and showing one of the corners of a wall const ucted in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is'a transverse section showing the position of the reinforcing-anchors in the block. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the blocks constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the block shown in Fig. 3.

1 designates a block formed of cement, concrete, or any other plastic material con; structed in accordance with my invention, and 2 semicircular or crescent-shaped vertical openings or cavities extending through the block and having the upper edges thereof extending slightly above the surface of the block, as shown at 3, to form a guard and to prevent waste of mortar and also to prevent Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

the mortar from falling into or covering the openings, which are arranged in rows extendnglongitudinally of the blocks and approxi mately parallel with each other, one of said rows emg arranged near the outer edge of the block and the other row nearthe inner edge. Said openings are also arranged alternately, so that each has its'points arranged opposite the concave sides of the openings in the opposite row. Hence each of the spaces between the openings in each row is crossed byan opening in the opposite row, this arrangement of parts having the effect of carrythe warm air from the inside of the buildmg to intercept the cold air coming from the outside, and thus preventing frost from penetrating the wall, the double air-space being indispensable in securing a drywall and the crescent-shaped openings or cavities having a better effect in distributing thewarm air to meet the cold than would be the case if the openings were oblong and straight. Each block is provided with a vertical groove or kerf 4 to receive a vertical tongue or dowel 5 on the end of the opposite block, this arrangement of parts having the effect of holding the blocks securely in continuous line or system of cement blocks in a wall; The tongue 5 projects farther from the edge of the groove or kerf 4 in order that the tongue may. completely fill said groove and yet leave a space 6 between the blocks, as shown in Fig. 1, for the cement or-mortar.

7 designates an u wardly-projecting guard formed integral wit 1 the top of each block at its outer edge, the purpose 'of this arrangement being to aid in holding the cement or inortar in position on top of each block and also to add to the exterior appearance of the wall by obliterating the mortardines com monly seen in brick and stone walls.

Each block has embedded therein a plurality of anchors or reinforcing devices 8, which may be made of any suitable erably ordinary wire. Each anchor is forme of one piece of material having each end bent ings 2 and the otherend extends to within place and forming a block than the depth of the material, prefan approximately short distance from the edge of theblock. (See 2;) By form: ing the OPeIfingsZ-in the block'sothat'their oints' or ends overlap the front and rear aees or sections ofthe blockareseparated or chamber 'alol'i'g every transversehne or plane forthe purpose. of-

b-yffan air space ,retardingthe passage of: heat, cold and moisture-transversely through the block, as previously explained;- .but While construction is vadvantageous this respect: it

of the anchors or ties materially weakens the block, so that the\1 1se. y

8, is necessary.

embedding theseanchors Sf'which have an gu1arly-bent portions 9 -10, in the necks or portions of the 'bloc'kopposite-the concave sides of the openings 2. of one-row and -be 't'weenthe ends of-adjacent openings 'in theother row the block is Strengthened at its Weakest'points and rendered a's'.substantial as it would be ifthe openings 2 did not overlap. As many-of the anchors SInay' be eI'iibedded' in each block asere found necessary ordesirahle.

Inea'ch cornenblockthe vertical .groove 4 is placed in the side of a Iblockins'tead of at the-end I In-operation the blocks are laid as shown in Fig. -.'1 and the mortar placed thereon between and around the crescent-shaped open- -The guards or upreised projections 3 and 7 have the efie'ct of preventings or cavities 2 ing the mortar front spreading, seas to ooze beyond'theouteredge of thewallor into the crescent shaped"openings 2, and also insure sufficient m ar tr': Farm the bed tor the 117% I per tier-of blocks. 'Mortar or cement is also placed-in the spaces 6 between the blocks to forma continuous cement wall which is perfectly air and watei' tight.- Tile" Ve1'fiC2ti dowels or tongues 5, fittin snugl in the ver- "tical grooves 4, tend to hol the b ocksrigidly in position and prevent their displacement from any cause; and the anchors ,8, which are placed in the plastic material before the 'strengthenmg:. the block. I

Havingthus'desoribed my said invention,

hat I cla'in as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is*

A plastic blockcomprising a body'having vertically eXtend'ing" openings formed therein 1 and arranged in;substantiallyparallel rows 'extending longitudinally of theblock,- the openings inone row being erranged so as to cross the necks or portions between the ends of adjacent openingsyinthe'other'row, the ends. of said openlngs .ove lalifiing' each other .as shown-andfldescribed an a'plurahtv of lverticalirows OfgilhChOIfS or ties 8 embedded in s'aidnecksor portions, said anchors or ties blooksfvare hardened, have the efiec't of being'tran'sversely disposed and each 0011- 9 v and the points 10 -su bstan-' 

